Well at least he does that

I bother Greg on at least a daily basis about all the things that don't get done around the house (and rest assured I am now about to name some of those).

For example the front door lock needs repair, the skylights need cleaning, the sprinklers need to be fixed, and we really need to pull some weeds.

One good thing, we have a bunch of logs in the garage from a tree we cut down and they have been on the floor waiting to be shelved. Well, they are on the shelf. Cause Kristi put them there.

All of that being said, there is one thing that Greg does that almost allows me to forgive him for the rest ( I said almost and it will never be completely).

Greg takes Owen crabbing.

I hate crabbing, I hate boats, I hate the water, I hate killing crabs, and I hate eating crabs BUT I love the two of them to go together.

They went out today with some friends on a big boat. Owen asked the friends a million questions and constantly asked Greg to check the pots. They caught a giant sun star (sun star being a sea star (formerly known as a starfish) with more than five points and thank you Felix for that wealth of information). Owen talked about this creature for hours. I was told he just couldn't get his mind off it.

They brought home two crabs and Owen only wanted to ride with his dad, with the crabs.

I have too many weeds in my yard and I can't unlock the front door but I adore Greg for taking him.

(and no I still will not let you get a boat).

Wild child at 10 months

As we approach her ten month mark, Autumn is insane.

She stood for real tonight. The kind of standing where they let go and surprise themselves by just standing there. She was so proud.

She moves up the stairs with ease but struggles coming down.

She loves pulling Owen's hair and then scrunching her nose and laughing.

She stole from the store tonight and gave the other two kids a heart attack.

She fake laughs while staring at things she wants, especially a glass of water.

She loves Greg to put her to sleep and it drives me crazy. I will try for hours and she falls asleep for him in two seconds.

She loves her binky and "special blanket".

And we call her Ferby.

My expensive to do list

I feel like this list is longer by the day.
For example:

It is hot. When we replaced our furnace we started the installation for a heat pump. I need to call and get the rest finished for a mere $4000.

I had a bid on a fence and a gate. It was only $ 2000. I need to get this in as the other day I pulled up and the neighbor was in the backyard looking for her little boy. He was in the backyard looking at our baby swimming pool full of water. Please don't drown in my backyard little baby.

Owen has done a soccer camp and a baseball camp this summer and loved both. I asked him if he would like to do a tennis camp next week, to which he replied he would love to cause he is athletic. I need to sign him up for $125.

After our trial class next week, I am signing Ivy up for gymnastics for $58 per month.

Owen needs to start piano the end of next month. I am researching that to find a teacher that is the right fit. We are talking anywhere from $100 per month to $220 per month, and I totally anticipate piano will not be his dream but he has no choice and I am prepared for the struggles.

Ivy needs to get signed up for her Kindermusik class for $36 per month.

I need to get the invites out and pay the rest of the fee for the bouncy house party for Owen's birthday party. I owe $100.

We turned on the sprinklers tonight, half of them were either shooting in the air or pouring water into the greenbelt. We need to fix those and who knows the cost.

And then there is always that patio that I really want for way too much.

I just got tired thinking about this .....

Saddest thing all day

It was a long day. A lost tooth, a quick trip to the farmer's market, boot camp, attending to the neighbor's pets, a drive to Greg's work, a few client phone calls, and of course the day-to-day stuff. I was ready for the day to end. I sat down to do one work deadline when I stumbled upon another work deadline I didn't know about.

After a small fight with my dad and a little panic, I filed the documents at 11:58. The small ones in the house tried to fight sleep, but one by one they were out. With a quiet house, I crept up to bed and found my sleeping children and an unplayed nightly UNO game all set up by Owen and ready to go.

Oh my heart!

I am going to bed and as I do, I quietly remind myself that some days just work out better than others and then I throw in that saying about tomorrow being a new day to lessen my guilt.

I am sorry little loves, tomorrow can be a three game night!

(and ps, tooth fairy, if you happened to stop by while I was working, I sure hope you left enough money for one very excited boy, and I know you probably did not leave $6.00 like he wanted, so hopefully tomorrow doesn't start out like today ended)

The park

I seriously love the park on a summer night. We hadn't seen Angie for one week and I was having withdrawals so we arranged a picnic at the park after work. We put on our swimming suits, packed all kinds of food and headed out.

When we got there we were pleasantly surprised to find out it was movie at the park night. We had no intentions
on staying for the movie considering that one of our combined five children would watch it and even that is questionable, but movie night on the park is like life on tv. People playing football, a snack table set up, families with blankets and picnics, a band playing, free glow sticks from the parks and rec office. I am seriously obsessed with the wonderfulness of it.

Our kids were overjoyed to be reunited after their week hiatus and ran gleefully through the water coming back for a bite of a sandwich or a pretzel. Angie and I sat with the babies and chatted. Greg and Steve threw a football. And most important, Ivy enjoyed herself cause she knows dogs come to parks on leashes.

It was a most pleasurable night. (minus the part where Greg wanted to leave to make it home to play basketball and sternly announced to my kids we were leaving, but quickly realized with my stern gaze he didn't stand a chance cutting my perfect night short, for a basketball game no less, and laughed it off pretending he was only kidding).

The whole night sort of had that break out into a song and dance with all the movie goers kind of feel.

Perfect.

What do I do & forgotten 3 year and 9 month stats

I have a problem. It is called Muffy is afraid of dogs. I am not talking about that fear when you prefer not to be around dogs and jerk back a tad when they start to get close, no, i am talking about true FEAR.

We didn't grow up around dogs, well we did but we never liked them. They were always kind of an outsider. I don't see dogs in the park and feel that overwhelming desire to pet it, in fact, I barely want to look at it.

This is not the problem with Ivy. Trust me I wish it were. The problem is much deeper. Ivy is terrified of dogs. She hears the dog next door from the locked backyard and runs inside, and I am usually lucky to even get her outside. Mostly she just stays inside and repeats that Kobi is going to get her. Which in turn makes me continuously repeat things like: Kobi can't get you, Kobi can't open doors, Kobi is not going to bite you, Kobi is not coming. Usually when we go outside she stays in. We ate lunch outside yesterday knowing the dog was locked in the backyard, she mostly held her food and watched the fence, begging to go back in.

She can enjoy herself if she knows he is gone. Then the old outside girl comes back. It is just so sad.

This is all not much of a mystery. I know why. After all, if you were 1 and enjoying a sunny day outside while your dad held you and you looked up to see a German Shepherd racing across the street right at you, and you hear the dog barking and watch it bite your dad while he is still holding you, you might be afraid too.

So, I know she is afraid and I know why, but what do I do about it. She can't even go outside.

Therapy? Sneak over and let the dog run away in the night (mostly kidding)?

Help!

********************POST EDIT******************
Here we are again, forgotten stats where my kids will wonder why I hated them and didn't write down important things.  I wish I had an answer.  Anyway!
Ivy at 3 :
36 1/2 inches - 30%
30 lbs - 43%

Autumn at 9 Months:
25 1/2 inches tall - 3%
15 lbs 1 oz weight- 2%
44 cm for head - 50%

***************Sorry self for not writing this down*******************